Experts say the boat people crisis is a critical regional problem where responsibility is shared among the countries involved. They also complimented the ad-hoc meeting in Bangkok on 29 May as a good sign of cooperation and sense of regionalism.
On 9 June, the Institute of Security and International Studies (ISIS) at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Political Science held a public forum on “Asia’s New ‘Boat People’ Crisis: Regionalization, Regulation and Regionalism,” featuring five speakers, Jeffrey Labovitz, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Gwen Robinson, Kasit Piromya and Kasira Cheeppensook.
Labovitz, Chief of Mission of the International Organization for Migration [IOM], said the 29 May meeting was a ‘great success’. It was the first time that stakeholder countries were able to sit and discuss the boat people issue.
Since the crisis of boat people is also found in South Asia and the Middle East, this indicates that it is a broader regional issue, said Labovitz.
He said the outcome of the meeting showed signs of regional cooperation in terms of policies and law enforcement in preventing human trafficking. He suggested that follow-up measures should be established in a timely manner.
Agreeing with Labovitz on the timeliness of the issue, Kavi said a meeting between lower-ranking government officials should be held to put mechanisms into place. He also said it was a positive sign to see participation from the stakeholder countries, especially Myanmar and Bangladesh.
The boat people problem is clearly no longer a problem where each country keeps its own mouth shut. The meeting showed that Thailand is ready to be a facilitator and coordinator and he hopes the international community, especially ASEAN, will use the opportunity to ‘build mechanisms’ against the ongoing human trafficking problem.
Robinson from ISIS and the Chief Editor of Nikkei Asian Review said that ASEAN members found themselves in the middle of internal crises caused by the boat people issue. The tension between ASEAN members occurred because of differences in religion, socio-political factors, and policies on security and migration. Moreover, the ASEAN principle of non-interference hinders cooperation. Member states pass the buck and blame each other.
Kasit, a former Thai Foreign Minister, said that Myanmar is the cause of the problem as it is the origin of the Rohingya. He urged states and international organizations to put pressure on Myanmar to take responsibility for the problem.
He suggested that Aung San Suu Kyi must put aside the politician’s face and, as a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, stand up to protect human rights.
He also expressed disappointment that the UNHCR and IOM did not step to coordinate as they had in other cases. He said that the 29 May meeting was a ‘Hollywood thing’, and required real action and sincerity more than paper.
Kasira from the Political Science Faculty, Chulalongkorn University, said that regionalization, regulation and regionalism are intertwined with political and economic elements. The outcome of the meeting represents a slight shift from the ASEAN norm: Thailand and Malaysia ignored the principle of non-interference and allowed the US to step in and provide humanitarian assistance.
She also emphasized that the ASEAN should be more concerned about social and cultural aspects in addition to economic issues, in order to truly develop the ASEAN community.
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